Today was CalArts class sign-up day, which meant mayhem and horror for all of those involved.

For some reason, CalArts has refused to keep up with the rest of the collegiate world and insists on class sign-ups in person (instead of online). This means that you figure out your schedule/what classes you want...and then you show up to CalArts on sign-up day and run around the school looking for each professor to sign off on your sheet.

Oh and there is one class sign-up day for the whole school, so everyone is thrown in there at once.

It sucks to be a music student because:

1). Every music class is 1 credit, so you end up with 10-15 classes on your sheet...and have to find/stand in line for 10 professors.

2). The music school, for some reason, doesn't have it together. Other schools in CalArts (ie Art, Film) have their teachers show up on time, have nice little placards or signs that politely let you know which teacher is which. Our music teachers apparently don't care. Some of them show up late, some of them don't show up at all, and everything is willy-nilly in that you have to guess who teachers are or ask around because no one has a name card.

And then there are the classes which are apparently limited, but don't let you know beforehand. So sometimes you wait in line for 30 minutes only to be told that the class has filled up already or surprise! you're not even allowed in the class.

There are a few popular classes with limited openings and the lines for these look something like this:

by this time, I've already been trampled, so don't look for me here.

Once you're done collecting signatures like you've been on some sort of human bingo/scavenger hunt, you stand in yet another line that leads through some sort of time portal where staff members sit at antiquated computers to input your schedule information.

Yes, the computers look something like this.

In theory, I believe the system is meant to acquaint students with faculty members ahead of time and foster the collaborative, friendly, "small and intimate" school vibe of CalArts.

In reality, newcomers are left bewildered to this introduction to CalArts and veterans muster their way through the ranks as quickly as possible.

The free doughnuts, however, were especially excellent today.

My classes are fairly regular (as regular as you can get in CalArts). I was encouraged to join a class called "Monkey Chant", but unfortunately it conflicted with my Johann Sebastian Bach class, so I was unable to. "Digital Recording Studio" also conflicted with both my "Arts Pedagogy" class and ChucK programming class...Sadly.

I'm most looking forward to all of the different chamber pieces and collaborations I'm a part of this semester though! Every semester I've been at CalArts has gotten crazier and busier...so here's to my last and hopefully craziest semester yet. I'm working on everything from Takemitsu ("Toward the Sea" with alto flute and guitar), the Bax trio (flute, harp, viola), Appalachian Spring (the 13-piece ensemble version), Beethoven's 7th, a collaboration for guitar + flute and voice, a Ravel piece where I switch from piccolo -> flute -> alto flute -> bass flute....and more!

The link above isn't to the main page, but one of my favorite entries of Allie. Allie not only shares some hilarious stories, but illustrates them with these quirky MS Paint drawings which are childlike, genius, and